Reading time: ca. 10 min | Ages: 3 – 10
Synopsis: Ricky Rabbit overcomes his fear and shows his friends how brave and grown-up he is.
Theme: When you overcome your fears and are brave, good things can happen.
Ricky Rabbit could hear his friends playing outside in the forest.
They were shouting and laughing as they chased each other in the sunshine.
He quickly ate his breakfast and hurried outside.
He went up to Grover and asked, “Can I play too?”
Grover was much bigger than him. He looked down at Ricky and said, “No.”
“Why not?” asked Ricky.
“Because you are too small and you can’t run very fast,” Grover said.
“But I can catch very well,” Ricky said.
Chunky Rabbit said, “Please let him play, Grover.”
“No, he’s too clumsy and can’t do anything well,” Grover said and walked away.
The other little rabbits laughed and kept on playing.
“Sorry, Ricky,” Chunky said.
Ricky fought to keep back the tears. He did not want them to see him crying.
He went back inside and asked his mother, “Mama, why doesn’t anybody like me?”
She hugged him and said, “That’s not true, Ricky, your father and I love you and so does your brothers and sisters.”
Ricky sniffled and said, “But the other rabbits don’t like me.”
“That’s because they don’t know you, Ricky. But one day they will find out what a great little rabbit you are. Then you’ll have lots of friends.”
Ricky did not believe her for a minute.
So he asked, “Why am I so small, Mama?”
“Because you’re special,” his mother said. “But you’re not going to stay small forever. One day you’ll grow up to be a big strong rabbit.”
His mother gave him a slice of carrot cake which he loved very much.
“Cheer up, Ricky, things will get better,” she told him.
Ricky doubted that. Right now he was feeling quiet unhappy.
Soon after this, his mother left to go to the store.
Left all by himself, Ricky began to sing. He liked singing and dancing too. But he told no one. He did not want the other animals to tease him about this too.
As he was singing and dancing, there was a tap on the window.
It was his only friend, Chunky.
“I didn’t know you could dance and sing like that?” he said after he came inside.
“You saw me?” asked Ricky.
“Yes, and you’re good.”
“Please don’t tell anybody.”
“I won’t,” Chunky promised.
The next day, all the young rabbits were excited.
There was going to be a singing contest in the village.
The winner would get a trip for two to Rabbit Funland.
It was far away on the other side of the forest.
“Aren’t you going to enter the contest, Ricky?” Chunky asked.
“I can’t, “said Ricky. “I’m afraid. I don’t want anyone to laugh at me again.”
“But you sing so well, I’m sure you’d win the prize,” Chunky said. “Then the two of us can go to Funland.”
Ricky really wanted to go, but he was just too scared to sing.
Chunky thought about it for a while. Then he said, “I know what you can do.”
“What?”
“You can dress up so nobody will know it is you until after you’re done,” Chunky said.
“You think that will work?” asked Ricky.
“Yes.”
“But how?”
“Come and let me show you.“
The two of them went into the forest. Chunky cut two pieces of wood and tied them on to Ricky’s feet.
“You’ll look taller, so they won’t know it is you,” Chunky said.
Ricky walked around on them a little. He fell at first, but got better as he kept on doing it.
“But they’ll still see my face.”
“Okay, we’ll use this big leaf to make a mask to cover your face. I’ll put two holes in it so you can see.”
“But what about the rest of my clothes? And they’ll also see the wood I am standing on,” Ricky asked.
Chunky thought for a minute.
Then he said, “We’ll use some of the wrappers your mother take home from the store and make you a long coat.”
Ricky still did not like the idea, but he let Chunky talk him into doing it. Plus, he would really like to go to Funland.
The two of them practised secretly in the forest so no one knew what they were doing.
When the day of the contest came, Ricky suddenly got very scared again.
Suppose he did not win? The rabbits would laugh at him again.
This time, he was sure he would cry for all to see.
He trembled as Chunky helped him put the two pieces of wood on his feet, then his mask and long coat.
As he waited to go on, his stomach felt like there were hundreds of butterflies trying to get out.
“I can’t do it,” he whispered to Chunky.
“Yes, you can,” Chunky tell him.
Ricky was just about to run off, when his turn came.
Everyone looked in surprise at this tall little rabbit wearing a mask and a coat as he came on the stage.
Who was he and where did he come from? They did not remember seeing him before.
Then the music started to play and Ricky began to sing.
He was very shy at first, but as he got into the song, he forgot who and where he was.
Then he began dancing. He danced and pranced all over the stage. He completely forgot about being shy. He was doing something he liked very much.
Everyone was clapping and cheering. Some of the younger ones also started to sing along and dance too.
Then something terrible happened.
Ricky stumbled and fell down.
And his mask fell off.
Everybody gasped.
“Is that really you, Ricky?” someone asked.
They could not believe it.
Chunky jumped up and helped Ricky off the stage. The tears were running down his face.
“I told you it would not work,” he said to Chunky.
“I’m sorry, I did not mean to hurt you,” Chunky said.
Then they heard the announcer saying, “Will Ricky please come back to the stage.”
Ricky looked at Chunky. Should he go?
Then the crowd started clapping and calling out Ricky’s name.
“I think you should go,” Chunky said.
So he went back on stage.
The older and young rabbits cheered loudly when he came back on.
“And here is the winner of the contest, little Ricky Rabbit,” the announcer said.
Ricky could not believe his long ears. He had won!
And all the little rabbits ran on stage and crowded around him.
“You were awesome!”
“You were great!”
“Cool!”
“You’re super great, Ricky,” Grover said. “Sorry for being so mean to you the other day. And you can play with us any time you want.”
Little Ricky was so happy. He felt he was going to burst.
His mother was right. Once the other rabbits got to know him, they’d love him too.
Maybe she was right too that one day he would grow up to be a big strong rabbit.
And thanks to his friend Chunky. Now the two of them were going off to Funland.
“Yippee!”